The Ribbon Tree
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Standing up to people had never been Preston's strength. Now he'll have to learn by standing up to his father.
1. The Ribbon Tree

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Ninja Steel._

Kelly was out of the hospital. It was a moment to celebrate. Her leg was doing well, and since the swelling had gone down and the area was healing, the doctors were able to release her. She would have to stay off her foot until it was better, but at least she could leave her hospital room now and be with her friends.

Since Kelly didn't want to be trapped inside on her first day of freedom, Hayley had suggested the Rangers go for a picnic. Preston said he had a better idea, but he wouldn't say what. So it was up to the Rangers to follow him blindly out just beyond the city. Fortunately, Kelly was able to sit on Sarah's hoverboard to take her to Preston's location, otherwise she knew she never would have made it.

Eventually, a big tree came into sight, but Kelly, Sarah, Levi and Brody noticed there seemed to be something covering the tree. When they got a little closer, they noticed it was ribbons.

"The ribbon tree!" Hayley smiled and gave Calvin's hand a little squeeze. "Preston, you're a genius."

"I just thought we've been through a lot since becoming Rangers. It wasn't always easy, or fun, but now that we're all here, together, we should do something special."

"What's the ribbon tree?" Kelly asked.

"I remember hearing about this when I was little," Brody said. "You put a ribbon on this tree to mark something special that happens to you in your life. You know, family, friends, milestones. Right?"

He looked to Preston, Hayley and Calvin for confirmation. He had been away from Earth a while and though he still remembered quite a bit from when he was young, there were pieces that were a little fuzzy.

"Calvin and I put a ribbon on our first anniversary," Hayley said with a nod.

Preston pulled out a long ribbon, "I thought we could put a Ranger Ribbon on here," he said. "You know, to mark everything that's happened, and everything we still need to do."

"That's a great idea," Levi agreed. "And hey, all our names are on here."

"Brody, Preston, Calvin, Hayley, Sarah, Levi and Kelly," Preston said and looked to Kelly with a smile. Kelly smiled back, touched she had been included. She wasn't a Ranger, she didn't fight in battles, so it would have made sense if Preston had kept her out, especially since he had called it a _Ranger_ Ribbon. But she was now living with Hayley, she knew their secret, and it was her intention to help out as much as possible. She also knew she was willing to do whatever it took to keep the Rangers safe. She couldn't imagine anything happening to Sarah, and she knew how much Sarah also cared for her friends.

Preston placed the ribbon on the tree and made sure it was on there tight. There were so many ribbons that filled the tree and overtime, some had become loose. Preston didn't want to see his Ranger Ribbon fly away.

"Alright, who's hungry?" Calvin asked as he set down the backpack he had been tasked with carrying. The Rangers were still ready to do their picnic and after their long walk up to the tree, Calvin was starving. He was sure the same could be said for the others.

As he and the Rangers unpacked their picnic, Sarah helped Kelly down from the hoverboard, careful not to move her leg around too much. Then she unpacked the pillows she had brought in her own bag and placed them under Kelly's leg to keep it levitated. Kelly watched her girlfriend but noticed that there seemed to be a sadness about her.

Sarah had taken some hard hits lately, and while the pink Ranger liked to think she wasn't easily shaken, it was perfectly understandable, and even expected, for her to waver a little bit. Especially now. It wasn't long ago since she had seen a friend die. Kelly's father's article had stirred up a lot of trouble, and the climax came when a stranger bombed the Silver Guardian's backyard, threatening their children. When Sarah heard this, she wanted to help. Unfortunately, this was a much bigger issue that anyone guessed, and Sarah only realized it when it was too late. The stranger had another bomb, and he used it to attack the Guardians themselves as they arrested Kelly's father. The bomb severely injured Gia, and killed both Kelly's father and Jordan.

Kelly knew Sarah had been by to visit Emma after Jordan's death, and the pink Ranger had also gone to his funeral with the others out of respect. Outside of that, she didn't speak about what happened. As Sarah finished tending to Kelly's leg, Kelly reached her hand out and gently touched her girlfriend's arm.

"You can talk about it with me," she said. She wasn't sure why Sarah wouldn't open up about it, but she thought maybe it had something to do with her father. While Kelly was upset her father was dead, she had reasoned with herself that it was for the best. He had written a scathing article condemning her simply for being herself. There was no relationship there anymore. Now, Kelly wouldn't have to worry about trying.

"I'm fine," Sarah assured her, so Kelly let it go for now and hoped the picnic would be enough to cheer her up.

Calvin and Hayley had packed a ton of food for the Rangers to enjoy. There were sandwiches, chips, drinks, crackers and cheese. Everything the Rangers needed for a day by the Ribbon Tree. They were halfway through their meal though when Levi noticed there seemed to be some construction trucks pulling up the hill where the tree sat. When he pointed them out, the Rangers got to their feet.

"What's going on?" Levi asked as the foreman approached the tree. His workers were behind him with a couple of saw.

"We're taking this tree down," the foreman said. "Pack up your picnic and say your goodbyes. Soon, this will be a condo."

"But we just put a ribbon on this tree," Hayley argued.

"Not my problem," the foreman shook his head and turned to his crew, "Alright boys…"

"What about all the other ribbons here?" Brody asked and gestured to the tree. The large trunk was barely visible through all the brightly coloured ribbons. There had to be hundreds, if not thousands. "What about all these other people?"

"Again, not my problem. Look, kids, I get paid by the hour, so I can argue back and forth with you all day, but I do want to get home in time and I do want to get paid. That's only going to happen if you let me do my job."

"You can't take this tree down," Sarah shook her head.

"What on earth is the hold up?" another man cried out as he made his way through the workers to the front. He spotted the Rangers standing before the tree and then he spotted the blue Ranger. "Preston?"

"Uh… hi father," Preston said and scratched the back of his neck nervously. This was an awkward encounter for him. Preston had found out weeks before that his mother didn't want him hanging out with Sarah because she was sure Sarah had turned him gay. His mother couldn't accept that and had uttered some unforgivable things as she tried to speak with her son. When Preston found out that his mother had also stolen Sarah's hoverboard, taking advantage of Sarah being shaken up from an attack and forgetting it once the Guardians picked her up.

Preston was now planning to move out of his parents' home. He couldn't live with a mother like that. His father had kept his mouth shut on the matter until now, but his silence told Preston everything he needed to know.

Preston never told his friends about what happened. Only Brody knew there was trouble at home, and that was because Preston was staying with him in his old home. Since Kelly had been kicked out of her house, Preston didn't think it was appropriate to then share that he had decided to walk away from his parents.

"And where the hell have you been?" his father asked. While their home was big, Preston's absence had been very noticed. "Your mother's been worried sick about you."

"I've been with my friends," Preston said.

"These friends?" he asked and looked to the Rangers, who were standing in front of the tree defiantly – as if purposely trying to give him a hard time.

"Yes. These friends," he nodded.

"And you're the reason my workers haven't started taking down this tree?"

"Father…"

"I don't want to hear it, Preston," his father stated sternly and shook his head. "I have a business to run and this tree needs to come down."

"But…"

"In the car. We will discuss this at home."

"Father, I don't want to…"

"In the car!" his father barked and Preston lowered his head. He whispered goodbye to his friends and made his way down to the car.

"You can't talk to him like that," Sarah shook her head as she glared at Preston's dad. He stood over her and glared back, and while he wasn't tall, he still had a few inches over Sarah.

"You have caused enough trouble."

The pink Ranger knew she had nothing to be intimidated by. She was easily stronger, and had easily taken on threats that were a lot more menacing. Still, she didn't like that Preston's dad was trying to intimidate her and trying to use his power to make her feel weak.

So she took a step back. Preston's father smiled when she did, but Sarah wasn't done yet. She walked around to the back of the tree and pulled herself up. Scaling the side, she made her way to where the lowest branches intertwined, creating the perfect place to sit. Hayley looked to Calvin, and then they took followed Sarah up the tree.

"You can't treat Preston like that," Sarah called down. "And you are not taking down this tree."

Mr. Tien turned to his crew, "I don't care what you have to do, just get them down from that damn tree!"

"All six of them, sir?" the foreman asked and when Mr. Tien turned around, he saw Brody and Levi were climbing the tree and Kelly was on Sarah's hoverboard and being lifted to the top.

"All six of them," he nodded and then stormed off to his car. The Rangers watched him go with a wave and then settled into the tree.

"Aw man," Calvin said and looked down, where some of the workers were finishing off what was left of their picnic while their foreman tried to decide what to do. "I'm still hungry."

"I think you had more than enough," Hayley teased him.

"First day out of the hospital with a busted leg and I climb a tree," Kelly chuckled. "I think my doctor might freak."

"How long exactly are we going to stay up here?" Levi asked.

Brody looked to Sarah, who had her arms crossed and seemed to be fuming, "Until they change their minds, I guess."


	2. Yellow Ranger Pees From Tree

When Preston's dad got in the car, Preston knew he was in for a lecture.

"Do you see all the trouble your friends are causing?" he asked. "My men expect to be paid, and in case you aren't aware, money doesn't grow on tree."

"It is paper," Preston muttered. His father glared at him.

"You used to be a good boy, Preston. You had your priorities straight. You understood that business was business and it's what allowed us to afford what we have."

"I know, father," Preston nodded his head.

"Then you meet her…"

"I also met Brody, Levi and Kelly," Preston said. "It's not just Sarah."

"But she's the influence. This is all centered around her."

"Because that's what people have turned it into," Preston argued. "Father, I…"

"Preston, your mother and I made our expectations very clear. And since we are your parents, we expect for you to do as we tell you."

"So you're going to tell me who I can be friends with?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Preston…"

"But that's what you're doing!"

"We're telling you who we don't want you being friends with."

"Give me one reason unrelated to that article mother read," Preston challenged. "Father, you haven't even met her."

"She's causing trouble on my construction site! I don't like you bringing around friends who make my job harder."

"I didn't know you were going to be there."

"If you had just been home, you would have known," his father said. "From now on, your mother and I need to know where you are at all times."

"You can't do that!"

"I just did," his father stated. Preston crossed his arms over his chest and the rest of the car ride was silent. When they were home, Preston got out of the car and stormed off.

"Preston!" his father shouted at him but Preston kept walking. "Preston Rupert Tien, you get back here right now!"

Preston was terrified of the consequences. He had never disobeyed his parents before. Walking out of the house had already been hard enough, but now he was being openly defiant. This never used to be him.

Then again, he also never used to have friends. He never used to have something to fight for.

-Ninja-Steel-

"Okay," Levi said, leaning forward in the tree, though being sure not to lose his balance as he did. "Protests are dull. I wish I had brought my guitar."

"I wish I brought some pain killers," Kelly mumbled and rubbed her leg.

"I wish I had my sandwich," Calvin muttered.

"Mr. Tien has promised he'll pay us overtime," the foreman called up. "We're more than happy to stay down here all night."

A worker brought him over a take-out bag. He pulled out a burger and looked up to the Rangers, "I'll bet you're all quite hungry."

"You know, we don't all have to stay in this tree," Brody said. "If a couple of us stays up, someone can go for a dinner run."

"I'll do it," Levi offered. "I can get my guitar and Kelly's meds too."

"I'll go with you," Brody said and the two started their climb down, leaving Sarah, Kelly, Hayley and Calvin in the tree.

"Hey, it's our first double date," Calvin chuckled when he noticed it was now couples only. He then raised his voice and looked down at the construction team, "Maybe we'll attach a ribbon to celebrate once this is all over with!"

"Calvin, don't rile them up," Hayley said and pulled on his arm slightly. "They can't do anything as long as we're in the tree. We have the advantage."

"We're not letting your friends back up," the foreman shouted up. "Now, it's just the four of you."

"They'll find a way," Hayley shrugged. She then turned to Kelly, "Are you sure you want to still be up here, though. If you and Sarah want to head home and get some rest, Calvin and I can stay up here."

"Wouldn't be our first protest," Calvin nodded.

Kelly glanced to Sarah, who still seemed to be fuming and shook her head, "Naw. It's an important cause. I don't want these guys thinking we're just going to cave."

"You mean to tell me none of you have to pee?" the foreman called up.

"Why don't you just shut up and make this a silent protest!" Sarah shouted down.

"Hey, come on now," Calvin frowned. "Let them say what they want. They'll come across as idiots once this is over with."

"They're annoying," Sarah muttered.

"What's really going on?" Kelly asked. She hoped now that there was a smaller group around, and since they were stuck in a tree with nothing else to do, Sarah might talk.

"Nothing."

"Sarah, you haven't been right since…"

"Since Jordan died?" Sarah asked. "Or since two babies were attacked? Since I was attacked?"

"Is that what all this is about? The article?" Hayley asked. "Sarah, you know it's a stupid article. No offense, Kelly."

"I agree wholeheartedly," Kelly assured her. "Sarah, it's okay to be upset about it."

"I'm not upset."

"You look upset," Calvin said.

"Dad was just one of those people who was set in his ways," Kelly said. "Nothing would have changed his mind."

Kelly noticed the way Sarah seemed to wince as she listened, and it happened whenever Kelly spoke about her father using the past tense.

"I'm not mad he's dead," she promised. "I'm a little upset, but he brought this on himself."

"If I never asked you out, none of this would have happened," Sarah muttered. "He never would have found out, he never would have written that damn article, the attack never would have happened, Ciara and Joe wouldn't have gotten hurt, and he and Jordan wouldn't be dead."

"Sarah, that's not your fault," Kelly insisted. "Dad brought this on himself. We didn't choose to like each other, that just happened. Dad chose to have a problem with it."

"Yeah. He's the one who started this mess," Hayley added.

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. Kelly scooted in closer to her.

"Maybe it didn't end well for dad," she said. "But you asking me out was the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Things have just been so screwed up lately," Sarah said.

"It's been a rough few months," Calvin agreed with her. "But we're going to get past it. That's what the Ribbon Tree is for. We're putting that all behind us."

"Sometimes that's easier said than done," Sarah sighed.

"A lot's happened to you," Hayley said. "Your dad disappearing…"

"Because of my holo-clones."

"Sarah," Hayley now regretting bringing up her father, though Sarah's quick response meant it was already on her mind.

"No, dad's gone because of me. Kelly's dad is dead because of me…"

"That's not your fault," Kelly insisted. Despite the pain it caused her leg, she turned so she was facing Sarah. She took her hands in hers and held them tight. "Sarah, look at me. Crap has been happening lately, but you're not the one responsible for it. Sure, people are dead and that really, really sucks. But if you had any control over it, I know you wouldn't have let any of this happen. Your dad, those babies, Jordan, even my dad. If you could take control, I know they would still be alive. You didn't do anything."

"I don't want to be the victim anymore, though," Sarah said. "I don't want to just sit by and lose something else."

"What else are you losing?" Calvin asked.

"I'm not letting Mr. Tien take down this tree," Sarah shook her head. "Not after we just put our Ranger Ribbon on it. And I'm damn well not going to let him push Preston around like that."

"Maybe it's not a good idea to mess with Preston and his dad," Hayley suggested. "I think that's a relationship Preston needs to work on by himself."

"Yeah, but I know Preston," Sarah said. "I want to make sure his dad hears his voice. He's not going to bulldoze this tree or his son."

"And then we start fresh," Kelly smiled. "We put everything else behind us, we look forward at what lies ahead, right?"

"Right," Sarah nodded.

There was a silence for a moment as the four settled comfortable on their branches. Then Calvin spoke up again.

"I wish he didn't remind me how badly I have to pee," Calvin said. "Does anyone else feel like their bladder is going to burst?"

The three girls shook their heads.

"We didn't down three cans of soda with lunch," Hayley reminded him.

"I was thirsty," Calvin said. He stood up on his branch, then turned away from his friends. "I'm sorry guys, I can't hold it."

"Calvin!" Hayley screeched.

"What? You heard those guys. If we go down, we're not coming back up. I'm not leaving you three in this tree, maybe overnight, all alone," Calvin said. "Just, look away, alright." Calvin glanced down at the workers below, "Hey! You might want to watch your heads!"

"Oh my god," Hayley said as she covered her face with her hands.

"I am so putting this in my book," Kelly chuckled. "Chapter two: yellow Ranger pees from tree."

"You are not touching me until you wash your hands," Sarah told Calvin.

"If you hit a construction worker, I'll make you the main protagonist in my book," Kelly chuckled, to which Sarah frowned.

"I thought I was your main protagonist."

"You can't pee on a construction worker," Kelly teased her.


	3. Is It Worth The Fight?

A night in a tree was not the most comfortable sleep. Brody and Levi had returned with some food, Levi's guitar, and Kelly's pain medication, and were able to climb back up the tree to be with their friends.

The Rangers slept well that night, but Kelly didn't. Her leg had kept her up. So when the sun rose, while everyone was still asleep, Kelly was the first to see Preston making his way to the tree. He did not look well.

He climbed up the tree and Kelly was the only one to greet him. She whispered that he should be quiet, since everyone else was still asleep, including the construction crew.

"Is everything okay?" she then asked him and Preston shook his head. "Wanna talk?"

"There isn't much to say. I'm not getting along with my parents right now."

"Same," Kelly smirked. "I'm not even sure where mom went in all this, but there's been nothing from her since dad died. I think we're definitely not on speaking terms."

"Well, it's not as bad as your situation," Preston said. "It's just… my parents have these strong beliefs and… I think I don't agree with them anymore. Actually, I know I don't, and they can't accept that."

"Uh…" Kelly frowned and tilted her head. "What part of that isn't like what's happened with me?"

"It's just not as bad."

"Preston, I'd describe what happened to me the same way as you did," Kelly said. "My parents have strong beliefs that I don't agree with. Is that why your dad is so angry?"

"Well, you guys really are pissing him off with the Ribbon Tree," Preston said. "But… there is more too it."

"You haven't been home for a while, right?" Kelly asked and remembered that Preston's father had been surprised to see him, and had made a comment that Preston hadn't been home for a few days.

"I caught my parents in the middle of a conversation a while ago," Preston said. "They were discussing what to do about… well, about Sarah."

"Sarah?"

"They think she turned me gay."

"Are you gay?"

"No," Preston shook his head. "Not that it matters, or that it would be her fault, but… that's the reason they don't want me to hang out with her."

"Apparently, Sarah is the gay fairy," Kelly chuckled. "My parents think she turned me into a lesbian. Although, they didn't know that when they told me not to hang out with her."

"It gets worse," Preston said. "I confronted my parents about that, and my mom said some pretty nasty things. It was right after those guys tried to attack Sarah. Basically, mom said if they raped Sarah, maybe that would fix her."

"She said that?"

"I couldn't believe it either," Preston said. "I mean, we've always had workers around the house. My parents have always been a little… difficult to them. I just thought that was because we paid them well and wanted them to do their job well. Turns out, my parents just think less of people who aren't like them. When I saw my mom had Sarah's hoverboard, and she didn't plan on returning it, I just left."

"Your mom took it?"

"She must have recognized it, seen it on her way back to the house and just took it," Preston nodded. "Dad hasn't said much about it, but he's clearly taking her side and I don't know what to do. And I don't want to tell Sarah any of this because… I don't want her thinking I'm like my parents."

"I don't think she'll think that," Kelly said and glanced at her girlfriend. "She knows who you are."

"I don't know what to do," Preston admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"I just don't know what to do," Preston shrugged. He was at a real loss. There was a lot he risked losing by leaving home, and he wasn't even sure that was the right thing to do. His parents had money. They could put him through college and get him set up for the rest of his life. If he went home, if he stopped arguing with them over their beliefs, they would help him.

But it was wrong for so many reasons. Preston couldn't justify giving up his beliefs just for his parents' money. He couldn't sacrifice his relationship with his friends. He couldn't live pretending like he didn't care about other people. He also couldn't use his parents just for their money.

Preston was no sell out, but the alternative – living with Brody in a house on the outskirts of the city with very little money and nothing else seemed terrifying. Preston would have no prospects after high school and would have to sacrifice much of what he was accustomed to having. He would essentially be making the decision to start his life over again without the support from his parents.

He didn't think he was brave enough to make that leap.

"I can't tell you what to do, Preston," Kelly shrugged. "I didn't have a choice in the matter."

"But if you did?"

"My plan was to stay with my parents until I was ready to move out," Kelly admitted. "They weren't supposed to find out when they did. They were just supposed to think Sarah was a friend and that I was just unlucky when it came to dates."

"So you would have stayed with them?"

"Probably," Kelly nodded her head. "I mean, it would have sucked, but if I hadn't been kicked out, I'd still be at home right now."

"And that would have worked for you?"

"Depends what you mean by worked," Kelly shrugged. "I'd be with my parents but… I don't think I'd be as happy as I am now."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I can be myself now. And Sarah and I can flirt and hang out and do couple stuff without having to worry we're going to get caught. The thing I'm worried about is now behind me, and I've managed to land a place to stay with a family that really seems to care. In a way, I think I'm better off, now. I guess I wouldn't have regretted staying at home, but it would have made me miserable."

"So I should leave?" Preston asked. Kelly could tell he was looking for a simple answer, and he was hoping she would give it to him. She shrugged again.

"I don't know."

"So stay?"

"No idea."

"Kelly…"

"I think you've got to decide if what you believe is worth fighting for," Kelly said. "My happiness and the relationship I had with Sarah was worth fighting for. It was worth losing everything."

The sun was really starting to come up now. A few workers were coming out of their trucks and some of the other Rangers were starting to stir. Preston knew his father would be coming back to the Ribbon Tree to demand the Rangers leave so he could cut it down.

"Is this worth losing everything?" Kelly asked Preston. "Only you can answer that."


	4. Preston Stands His Ground

Preston knew his parents could be stubborn. It was, after all, how they had made their fortune. His father built businesses and his mother worked as a CEO. They had both started from the ground up and through their own desire to reach the top, they had made it there.

They didn't listen to the ideas or the opinions of others. Preston had been young when his parents found success, so he wasn't sure if that was a result of them having reached the top of their careers, or if that stubbornness had been what helped them reach their goals. Either way, they believed their own beliefs were superior, and for the most part, they had the evidence to prove it. Preston's father's business style couldn't be argued since he was the boss.

Unfortunately, his parents carried that home with them. They had a lot of help around the house and they would often argue with the maids and the cooks. And when it came to their son, if he didn't immediately agree with their ideas, he often found himself in a battle he couldn't win. So, he had long since given up fighting his parents, since the battle was often not worth the reward, and his parents' beliefs had never grated on him as much as they did now.

Kelly's father had done a good job turning Sarah into the villain for the readers of his article, but Preston knew better. He knew Sarah, and he knew that she wasn't who his parents thought she was. She wasn't the bad influence Kent Saunders had made her out to be. If anything, Sarah had helped Preston. She was always the loudest to cheer at his magic shows, giving him more confidence in his performances, and she would always encourage him to take risks, making his life a little more adventurous. Had Sarah not pushed Preston to explore the object that had fallen from the sky all those months ago, Preston never would have become the blue Ranger, and he never would have made the friends he had now.

In fact, Preston was certain he would still be trying, and failing, to perform magic for the school, all while being laughed at. He was certain Victor would taunt and tease him more about how he couldn't perform real magic.

Kelly had told Preston he needed to decide for himself if this fight against his father was worth losing everything. Did the Ribbon Tree really matter so much, that he was willing to lose his relationship with his dad? Were his beliefs about human rights, as well as his friendship with Sarah, worth risking the only family he had ever known?

Seeing the Rangers sitting with him in the Ribbon Tree, joking around with each other about how they had spent the entire night in a tree, and teasing Brody, who desperately needed to use the washroom, Preston gave a little nod. His Rangers were also his family, and they had already supported him so much. He was easily the weakest and most nervous person on the team, but they never held that against him. They were all worth fighting for.

When his father arrived at the tree, Preston hopped down. Sarah, Brody and Levi jumped down with him, while Hayley and Calvin remained with Kelly up in the tree. Preston crossed his arms as his father approached.

"Is this really all worth it, son?" he asked. "For a tree?"

"This isn't just a tree," Preston shook his head. "This is history. This is the memories, the milestones, and the celebrations of everyone who's ever been to Summer Cove. It's our city's legacy."

"And soon, it will be a condo."

"No one's going to move to Summer Cove right now," Kelly called down from the tree to Mr. Tien. "We bought our house real cheap because people are moving away. Do you really think a condo is a great idea right now?"

"By the time it's done being built…"

"Father, we'll have other things to worry about," Preston told his father. "Sure, by the time the Rangers are done and the city isn't under attack, the condo may be finished, but we'll have other repairs that need to be made. Homes closer to the city and businesses."

"Look what happened to Harwood county," Levi nodded his head. "On my last tour, I had a concert there, and we had barely a couple thousand people. They're still working on bringing people back, and it's been over two years!"

"So, you're going to cut down this tree for nothing," Preston told his father. "You're going to ruin the memories of hundreds of people, for a condo that might never be filled?"

"Preston, I don't expect you to understand business," his father said. "Right now, I need to put this condo up. I can't believe you're putting up this much of a fight over a piece of overgrown wood."

"Father, it's not just about the tree…"

"It's the memories, blah, blah, blah," his father rolled his eyes. "I get it, you have this weird attachment to this tree."

"It's about not letting you push people around anymore," Preston said. "And if standing up for this tree is what it takes to show you that I won't let you and mother tell me what to believe anymore, then I can promise you, I'll defend this tree for the rest of my life if I have to."

"So this is about what your mother said."

"You and mom can believe what you want," Preston nodded his head. "But I won't stand for it. I know it's wrong."

"Preston…"

"And I'm going to keep hanging out with my friends," Preston said with a smile as he glanced over his shoulder to Levi and Brody. "I like who I'm becoming thanks to them. And hey, if that makes me gay, I'll take it."

He turned to Sarah and gave her a smile. She seemed confused by his statement, so he took her hand and squeezed it.

"There are worse things I can be," Preston told his father. "For example: a bigot."

"Preston…"

"You can tell mother I'm not coming home until I hear an apology from her. You both know why."

"I can't believe this, Preston. This is a tree! You're going to walk out on us, on everything we can give you, for a tree and some kids?"

Preston nodded his head. His father sighed.

"Well, I'm left with no choice then," he turned to his workers and Preston started to smile. "Cut it down! I don't care if there are kids in it. This is my property and…"

"Wait!" the Rangers and Mr. Tien heard a voice and saw a group running up to the tree. Preston and the Rangers were quick to recognize them as Emma, Jake, Noah, Gia, Rebecca and Troy, the former half were dressed in their Silver Guardian Uniforms.

"You came?" Preston smiled.

"Duh," Rebecca nodded. "It was an amazing idea."

"You can't take this tree down, Mr. Tien," Emma stated confidently as she looked to the older man. He frowned.

"And why not?"

"Because it's no longer your property. We bought you out," Emma smiled and turned to Gia, who handed Mr. Tien a note from the mayor. He frowned.

"I didn't agree to this!"

"It turns out, the Ribbon Tree is protected," Emma said. "It was planted by the people who first settled in Summer Cove over two hundred years ago, and they were the first to attach a ribbon to the tree to mark the occasion. Once the mayor learned that, she quickly rescinded her approval for a condo to be built here, and instead decided it should be a park."

"Here's your check back," Gia said and offered him his money. "The Silver Guardians have purchased this park. From now on, any work that needs to be done here will need to be approved by our environmental specialist."

"You have an environmental specialist on the police force?" Mr. Tien frowned.

"We have an environmental specialist everywhere we go," Rebecca chuckled. "Don't we Emma?"

"Why would the Silver Guardians want to protect a tree in Summer Cove?" Mr. Tien asked as he looked over the form from the mayor one more time, to be sure it was real.

"My son lost his father in this city," Emma said. "And once we heard, from Preston, that there was a place that we could memorialize him forever, we knew we had to jump before your offer went through. This tree is everyone's hopes, dreams, and happiness, and I couldn't think of a better place to honour him."

"The Jordan Myles Ribbon Tree Park," Gia said. "And it's going to stay a park so long as I live and breathe."

"And you do not want to go through her," Jake warned Mr. Tien.

"There is somewhere you can build a condo, though," Troy said and offered Mr. Tien a slip of paper. "There's plenty of space in Harwood, and I know having a nice condo will help bring in more people and more businesses. All the properties highlighted on that map are residential and for sale. You're welcome to buy them all."

"You did this?" Mr. Tien looked to his son, who nodded.

"I guess I took after you and mom a bit," Preston smiled. "When I have something to fight for, I can be pretty stubborn too."

"All this… over a tree."

"Over an article," Preston said and wrapped his arm around Sarah. "Over what's right."

"Come on, then," Mr. Tien called out to his workers. "I guess there's no business for us here."

"Go Preston," Sarah smiled to the blue Ranger and nudged him gently in the ribs. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"Neither did I," Preston chuckled. "I guess, now, I know why the rest of you do it so much. That was exciting."

"And scary?" Levi asked as Hayley, Calvin and Kelly came down from the tree.

"Terrifying," Preston nodded then turned to Brody, "If it's okay with you, I think I might be staying at your place a while."

"Not a problem," Brody smiled. "It'll keep me from getting too lonely."

"So, this is the Ribbon Tree, huh?" Noah asked as he circled the tree, looking to it carefully. "It's… big."

"Can I get a better description than that?" Rebecca asked. "Is it… made of ribbons, covered in them or what?"

"Both?" Troy frowned and scratched his head. "There's so many of them, I really can't tell."

"It's a real tree," Hayley assured the Rangers. "And thanks for buying it, by the way."

"We did it more for ourselves," Jake said and looked to Emma as she took a ribbon out of her pocket. Jordan's name, and the date of his death were written along the ribbon, which Emma then attached to the tree. "The kids are going to have a blast coming out here and playing under the tree."

"And Joe will have a place to take his father once he's older," Emma said, then looked to Sarah, "He loves the figure, by the way. He's been sleeping with it. His nightmare are gone."

"Glad I could help," Sarah smiled.

"Hey, uh, maybe we should head back," Kelly suggested. "You know, give these guys a little time in the tree."

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind getting home and getting the splinters out of my butt," Calvin agreed.

The Ninjas said goodbye to the Megaforce Rangers and then made their way back into the city, with Hayley convincing everyone that they should stop for ice-cream to celebrate their victory.

After their cold treat, they agreed to head to their respective houses. But just as they walked out, a man walked up to them.

"Brody?" he called and the Rangers turned to face him. Kelly let out a little screech while Sarah lunged, only to be held back by Levi and Calvin.

"You asshole!" she shouted. He stepped back and put his hands up.

"Look, I can explain everything," he said, "It's not like it seems."

"Bullshit!" Sarah shouted.

"Who are you?" Brody asked.

"You mean you don't recognize me?" the man asked with a smirk. "I'm Aiden."

"Bullshit!" Sarah shouted again. "He's the guy who killed Jordan! He's the guy who kidnapped Kelly!"

"I can explain that," Aiden said.

"He works for Madam Oedius," Kelly said. "He was on the ship with her when she gave me the poison. He attacked our base."

"He attacked the babies and dropped the bomb that killed Jordan," Sarah added. She looked to Brody, "You can't trust him."

"Madam Oedius made me do all that stuff," Aiden said. "I've been fighting for my life trying to get away from her. I know I've done some bad stuff, but I'm free now and…"

"What a coincidence," Sarah growled.

Aiden looked to Brody, "You know me, Brody. You know who I really am. I've been looking for you for ten years. I'm sure you understand, I had to do anything I could to find you."

"He's a liar," Sarah said.

"Brody. I'm your brother."

Brody looked from Sarah, back to Aiden, then back to Sarah, "I was on Galvanax' ship for years. I know the kind of stuff you get told to do. If Aiden says Madam Oedius made him do all that stuff, maybe we should hear him out."

"But Brody…"

"Let's give him the benefit of the doubt," Brody said and turned to his brother with a smile. "We'll take you to our base, okay? We'll get you checked out, make sure you're okay and then we'll catch up."

"Brody!"

"Sarah, he's my brother," Brody said and then started to smile wide. He turned back to Aiden, "You… you're my brother."

"I'm back, little bro," Aiden nodded his head and opened his arms. Brody went in for the hug and wrapped his arms around his older brother tight.

"I can't believe I found you."


End file.
